A Shoulder to Lean On
by Moosagi
Summary: When Mike hits a particular hard bump in the road, Kate is there for him, giving him a shoulder to lean on as life gets more difficult. But just how much can she handle before it all becomes too much for her?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Sea Patrol. I merely use its characters for my own enjoyment.

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Kate let out a groan as the alarm went off beside her. She reached out with her arm, punching the clock to shut the alarm off. Her sleep-befuddled brain was confused though when the alarm let out a groan of pain rather than plunging the room into silence. In a second attempt to shut the alarm up, Kate was more than surprised when the alarm called her name. She opened her eyes, expecting to be looking onto her bedside table and her alarm. Instead she was looking into the very angry, blue eyes of Mike. Confusion swept through her mind at to what exactly Mike was doing in her bed, considering that last night she had gone to bed in her rack.

"Why'd you punch me?" he muttered, leaning over her.

Her face screwed up in confusion, "What are you doing in my bed."  
His own face screwed up in confusion before his face cracked into a grin. He gently shook her shoulder, "Kate, wake up."

She stared at him, "I am awake."  
He shook his head, his smile widening, "You're in my bed."

"Did you get me drunk last night? How could you though when we're on the boat? That's very unprofessional of you Sir."

Mike couldn't help himself anymore and dissolved into laughter, collapsing back onto his side of the bed.

Kate continued to stare at him, wondering what exactly had spurred her captain into behaving so erratically. She moved to climb out of the bed, realising she was in Mike's bed and even more, she was sleeping on the right side. Everything came back to her and she laughed at herself for her own stupidity. She shuffled back into the bed, falling back against Mike's chest.

"I'm an idiot."

She felt his chest rumble underneath her as he laughed.

"I'm not denying that."

She rolled over and hit him on the chest, "I'm not a morning person. You know that. I can't help that I'm not able to distinguish between what's reality and what's a dream."

He smiled at her before pulling her into his arms, pressing his lips against her forehead. She rested her head on his shoulder, letting out a soft sigh.

"It wouldn't happen though if I was sleeping on the left side of the bed," she muttered, knowing what his reaction would be.

"You're not getting the left side," he replied, "The left side is my side."

She sat up, planting her knees either side of him, looking him square in the eyes.

"You would give me the left side if you knew what was good for you."

Mike raised an eyebrow at her, "Is that a threat Lieutenant?"

She smirked at him, sitting back on his stomach as she leant in close to whisper in his ear, "It might be."

She didn't see the smirk that crossed his face, but she let out a surprised shriek as she was flipped onto her back, Mike's cheeky blue eyes staring down at her.

"That's insubordination Lieutenant," he whispered back.

She leant up, pressing her lips against his as she wrapped one leg around his waist. As he pushed back, his own lips seeking hers, she flipped them back over. Both let out cries of surprise as they tumbled off the bed, Kate having misjudged their positioning on the bed.

They both broke into laughter, their bodies entangled together with the sheets wrapped around them. Kate lay down, her head resting on Mike's chest in exhaustion.

"Do we have to go to work?" she whispered, her eyes slipping shut again as sleep called.

"Kate," he gently shook her shoulder. "Don't go to sleep. We have to go."

She let out a soft sigh, allowing the blackness to creep in from the edges of her vision.

"I could stay here all day," she whispered as she yawned, sleep finally overcame her.

Mike looked down at her, gently shaking her shoulder again.

"Kate?"

When he got no response, he shook his head, knowing she had gone to sleep. He moved out from underneath her, pulling a pillow from the bed and tucking it under her head. A small smile crossed his face at the sight of her lying on the floor, the sheet wrapped around her, her hair spread out over the pillow framing her face.

He walked off towards the bathroom, knowing that he shouldn't have left her lying there asleep.

"Mike! Why the hell didn't you wake me!"

He laughed as he watched her race around his room, picking up her clothes and looking for her uniform. He knew he should have tried harder to wake her up but she looked too adorable lying there asleep.

"I tried to," he told her, for the tenth time. "You just didn't wake up."

Kate rolled her eyes at him, "I'm sure I would have woken up if you tried harder."  
He shook his head, "Well, you've got ten minutes."

She let out a frustrated growl as she ran into the shower.

Mike just laughed, knowing he would be hearing about this until they reached the boat.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, Kate was shouting at him as they walked out of his place.

"Couldn't wake me up could you. And now my hair is going to be disgusting because it's going to be put up wet!"

He shook his head as he pushed her out through the door, "Just get in the car."

She turned and glared at him, poking him in the chest, "Easy for you to say. You woke up on time."  
"Only because you woke me up with a punch."

"Well, if you'd let me sleep on the left side of the bed…"  
"Nooo… Not this again."

Their constant bickering drowned out the phone ringing inside and the beep as the answering machine picked up the call.

"Mike, it's your mother…"

The binoculars pressed against his eyes but he didn't care about the pain. His mind was on making sure that Kate wasn't hurt in the boarding party, his eyes following her every move. He stifled a gasp as he saw one of the people on the boat come up behind her. He mentally called to her, telling her to look behind. She must have heard because she whirled around in time to duck the piece of wood being swung at her head. As she tackled him, Mike let out a sigh of relief, knowing she would be okay. The phone ringing in the background caught his attention and he quickly grabbed it.

"Sir, we're in the process of apprehending the vessel…"

He trailed off at the voice on the other end of the line.

Nav's eyes flickered from the EOD in front of her, to Mike, her attention being dragged away as he slammed the phone down.

"Sir?"

He ignored her, storming straight out of the bridge in an uncharacteristic manner.

Nav glanced around at the other sailors, hoping to figure out what it was exactly that was wrong with the captain. The shrugs from the other sailors told her no one had managed to pick up on what it was that was wrong. She racked her brain, trying to figure out what it might be exactly that would send the captain off like that, but nothing, other than a disagreement with the XO, would come to mind. She turned her attention back to the boarding party.

From the moment Mike returned to the bridge, Nav could instantly pick up that whatever had set him off before, still was frustrating him in some way. It became more apparent when Kate returned onboard.

"Did you check the vessel?"

His question was brisk and not normal. It was on the rare occasion that he didn't trust Kate's skills on the boarding party and it surprised the entire crew that he didn't trust her now.

"Yes I did Sir," she replied, surprise evident in her own voice.

He turned to her, his eyes cold as they landed on her. The look hit Kate hard and she had to stifle the gasp that quickly arose.

"Well you must not have checked well enough if you didn't find anything onboard," came his snide reply.

Kate took a step back, his words hitting her hard. She glared at his back as he turned around.

"We searched that vessel from bow to stern Sir. There was nothing onboard. The drug vessel must be another one within the search area. I recommend we set course for one of the other vessels in the area Sir."

He turned swiftly, his eyes blazing.

"You will not recommend anything Lieutenant," he said, his voice cool and calm. He turned away from her, his next words unmissed by no one.

"In fact, you are excused from the bridge. I don't want to see hide or hair from you."

She was unable to stop the gasp that arose. Most took it as one of surprise but Mike instantly knew he had hurt her. He watched her as she walked out, her stance one of pain but full of dignity.

She spent the rest of the day in her cabin, not understanding what it was that had set Mike off today. She had been getting reports from Nav since he had sent Kate out of the bridge and every time it was about Mike going off for some reason or another. The most recent was him going off at Bomber for what was served for lunch. She knew that he was being extremely uncharacteristic. The door burst open and Nav stormed in. Kate instantly picked up that something was wrong.

"Nav?"

She let out a frustrated growl, throwing her cap onto the desk.

"He's being so bloody infuriating today! I have no idea what has ticked him off but he's getting on every ones' nerves. Bomber was almost in tears after he went off at her and he's just had a go at me about my calculations!"

She stood there, breathing deeply as she tried to catch her breath after her rant.

Kate raised an eyebrow, "You finished now?"  
Nav shook her head, "No. You have to talk to him. Say something at least!"

Kate nodded her head, knowing that Nav was right.

"I'll see what I can do. Is he in his cabin?"

Nav nodded her head and Kate stood up, instantly walking out. Enough was enough.

She stood outside his cabin and knocked, waiting for some acknowledgment before walking in. It took a while, but eventually she heard his voice come through the door. She opened it and walked in, ready for the verbal barrage that was she knew she was going to get. Sure enough, he let loose.

"What did I tell you about not wanting to see you!"

She stood her ground, shutting the door behind her. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared him down.

"I'm not leaving here until you tell me what is wrong," she demanded.

He walked over and pulled the door open. "Leave now Lieutenant or you will be facing disciplinary charges."

Kate threw him another glare before putting her hand on the door and pushing it closed.

"I'm not here as your XO Mike. Something is wrong and I know it. I'm here for you Mike."

She lay her hand gently on Mike's arm, her eyes softening as she looked at him.

"Let me in," she whispered, "Let me help you."

His glare held, "I don't need help Kate. This is not your problem."

She felt her body tense but she took a deep breath to calm herself. "You may not think it's my problem, but it is when you start taking out your anger on the crew."

She didn't need to ask him again, her eyes pleading with him to tell her what was wrong.

He held his steely resolve, not willing to be weak, "Leave Kate. Please."

She stared at him a moment, knowing he wasn't going to give in. She smiled softly at him and gently rested her hand against his cheek. His eyes slipped shut at the quick but loving gesture, a small moment of weakness showing through. Kate smiled, knowing it wouldn't be too long.

"When you're ready to talk," she said softly, "I'll be here."  
She turned to walk out, her hand pausing on the doorknob before she opened it. It didn't go unnoticed by Mike.

"Lucy's sick."

His outburst stopped Kate who turned around, her eyes wide at his admission.

"She's got cancer."


	2. Chapter 2

Kate rested her hand on Mike's arm, her chest tightening at the pain reflected in his eyes. She knew how close he was to Lucy and she knew how badly this would affect him and his entire family.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Her question was innocent enough with her own concern for him showing through. However, Mike felt it was an intrusion of his privacy and didn't want to show any sign of weakness. He pulled his arm back away from him, anger flashing briefly across his face before guilt filled him.

"It wasn't your business to know," he said icily and his words hit her hard.

For a moment, Kate thought she had pushed him too far, but the flash of guilt that briefly passed through his eyes made her realise exactly what was wrong.

"Mike," she said cautiously, taking a step closer, "Don't blame yourself for this."

He shook his head, pulling his eyes away from her leaving them to flicker around the room to focus on anything but her.

"Why not?" He mumbled, "It's my fault she's sick."

She let out a frustrated sigh before reaching out with both her hands, resting them on either side of his face so he couldn't look away.

"Mike. This is not your fault. Lucy is not sick because of you…"

He cut her off, "Yes it is! She's my twin sister. I should have known."

"Mike…" she slipped her hand into his, gently squeezing his hand in reassurance.

His emotions boiled over.

"It should have been me," he whispered.

"Mike, please don't say that," she pleaded.

He looked at her, his blue eyes locking onto hers. The grief and guilt in them hit Kate hard.

"It should have Kate. I was always the stronger one and she was always the one who got sick. It should have been me this time."  
His voice faltered and Kate noticed tears gathering in his eyes. She wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug and instantly felt him hug her in return. His arms tightened, pulling her closer towards him as quiet sobs started to fill the room. She held him, her hand rubbing up and down his back as she allowed him this brief moment of weakness. Slowly, the sobs subsided and he pulled back from her, his eyes meeting hers. He held her close, not willing to relinquish the comfort her hold had. He lifted his hand and gently cupped her face, his thumb gently caressing her cheek.

She leant into his hand, loving the feeling of his touch after a week of being on the boat.

"Are you feeling a little better?" she whispered.

He nodded his head, a soft smile on his face as he continued to gaze at her.

She returned his smile, "Why don't you stay here, make whatever calls you need to? Organise to get your family up, whatever you need to do, do it."

He shook his head, "I can't. I'm on watch soon." He drew back slightly as he remembered where they were.

"I'll do it."

"Kate, I can't make you…"

"You're not," she cut him off, "I'm offering." She took his hand and gave it a slight squeeze.

"Let me worry about the boat and you worry about Lucy."

Unable to help himself, he leant in and kissed her softly.

"What would I do without you," he barely whispered.

She smiled against his lips, "You would have told you XO everything and they would have done exactly the same thing."

He chuckled softly, "Not everything. You come with certain advantages."

She raised an eyebrow at him in question, "Advantages?"

He smirked before leaning in and kissing her. He pulled her body closer, running one hand inside her overalls.

"Advantages," he murmured into the kiss.

She let out a soft moan as she felt her knees weaken under his kiss. She wrapped her arms up around his neck to support herself, deepening the kiss.

"Captain. Request you come to bridge."

Mike let out a frustrated groan before reluctantly letting her go.

"I guess that's my call to go," she whispered breathlessly.

He nodded his head, "Thankyou."

She smiled at him before leaning in and giving him a quick kiss, "Talk if you need to. Don't keep it bottled up."

He kissed her again, still unwilling to let her go, "I will."

"Captain. Request you come to bridge."

Kate sighed before opening the door, throwing one quick smile back at him.

As Kate stepped into the bridge, Nikki whirled around, surprise on her face at the sight of Kate standing there.

"I called the Boss?"  
Kate nodded her head, "I know. But he has some things to sort out so I'm taking tonight's watch instead."

Nikki nodded her head, confusion flickering across her face as she stared at Kate.

Kate, however, missed the look, her eyes gazing out across the darkening skies, hoping that things would pick up.

As another week passed, things got worse and Kate had no idea how they had spiralled out of control. Mike hadn't slept once and Kate was starting to get concerned at how he was deteriorating. His skin was pale, his face long and drawn and his eyes sunken with dark circles under his eyes. She had taken on his watches, hoping he would catch up on sleep but he only seemed to get worse. She cast a glance over at him, watching as he stared absently out through the window. She walked up next to him, discreetly reaching over and resting her hand on his arm.

"Go down and sleep," she said quietly. "I'll take your watch tonight."

He shook his head, quickly shrugging her hand off.

"I'm fine. I can do my own watches."

She let out a sigh, "Mike. Please."  
He turned, his eyes narrowing at her, "That's enough X. You're excused."

She took a step back, knowing he wouldn't give in and turned and left the bridge.

She was sitting at her desk when she heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was Mike, she called out to come in. She was slightly surprised when Nikki walked in instead.

"Nav. What can I help you with?"  
Nikki sat down opposite, staring at Kate as though assessing her. "What's going on?"

The question surprised Kate who sat back and stared at Nikki in shock, wondering what had brought this on.

"Excuse me?"

Nikki stared her down, "You know what I'm talking about. You and the Boss."

Kate let out a sigh and shook her head, "Nothing is going on. I'm just worried about him."  
Nikki rolled her eyes in reply, "Whatever. You wouldn't be worried about him unless you had some feelings about him. And don't think I didn't see that little touch up there in the bridge, even if he did shake it off."

Kate just stared at Nikki, wishing the younger woman wasn't as astute as she was. She let out a sigh, knowing she couldn't keep any secrets from her.

"Okay. You can't tell anyone, but yes… we are together. Mike's got a few things going on with his family and I'm trying to make it easier for him so he doesn't have to worry about the boat but he's trying to do it all and it's starting to drain him. He shouldn't be doing it all but he won't listen!"

Nikki sat back after Kate's rant, wondering how it had taken her this long to actually realise they were already together. She had figured that there were feelings between the two but now she knew they were together… it was the juiciest gossip she had known. The temptation to tell the crew was overwhelming but as she looked at Kate's pleading eyes, she knew she couldn't break the friendship between them.

She nodded her head at Kate, "Okay, I won't tell anyone. I'll see if I can get him to come down and sleep."  
Kate nodded her head, "Thanks Nik."

Nikki smiled as she stood up and turned to leave.

"You're telling me everything when we get back into port," she said over her shoulder.

Nikki walked back into the bridge to see Mike's head lolling from side to side as he tried to sleep. She walked up to him and gently shook his arm, jumping back slightly as he jolted awake.

"Sir, maybe you should go down to your cabin and get some sleep," she said quietly, hoping no one else in the bridge would hear.

He stared at her before shaking his head, "I'm alright Nav. I can stay awake."  
She let out a sigh and leant down so only he could hear her next words.

"Go down to Kate. Be with her for the night. I can take care of everything up here."

Mike's eyes widened as he stared at her, shock written all over his face as he processed exactly what it was that she had just said to him.

"Sir. Do it."  
The words were forceful but not disrespectful and temptation took over. He nodded his head before standing up.

"Thanks Nav."

Kate rolled over as light spilled across her rack, waking her from her sleep. She expected to see Nikki standing there, but the silhouette clearly resembled that of a man. She sat up, leaning over to flick on the bedside lamp, squinting as light flooded the room. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she realised it was Mike standing there.

"Sir? Are you okay?"

He didn't say a word, instead just shaking his head in reply.

She didn't need to be told what he needed and so, shifted over and patted the space next to her.

He covered the distance in two steps, kicking off his boots before crawling in next to her. He reached out to her and pulled her down next to him, burying his head into the crook of her neck.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she whispered to him.

"I know," he replied, his voice muffled by her neck. "But I just needed you with me. Please, just for tonight."

She nodded her head before leaning over and switching the lamp off. She snuggled down into his arms, hearing the soft sounds of his breathing. She fell asleep with a small smile on her face at the thought that he was finally getting some sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Kate allowed a soft smile to cross her face as she leant against the doorframe to Mike's cabin. His face was screwed up in intense concentration as he sorted through the last of the paperwork, clearing up so there would be more spare time over shore leave. Her smile widened that little bit more as she thought of what they could do with all that spare time. She quietly stepped into the cabin, closing the door softly behind her before walking up behind Mike. She placed her hands on his shoulders, startling him. He spun around in his chair, his eyes softening as they landed on Kate's familiar form.

"Are you going to make a habit of checking up on me," he murmured quietly.

He smiled at her cheekily as he wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her down into his lap. She gazed at his face, noticing that the dark circles that surrounded his eyes had now disappeared, courtesy of a few nights sleep in her cabin. She smiled, gently resting her hand on his cheek.

"I can't help but worry about you. You're taking far too much into your hands with running the boat as well as worrying about Lucy."

He let out a soft sigh as he rested his head on her shoulder, his arms tightening around her waist. He could hear the concern laced in her voice and he knew that he should be letting her take some of the load but he couldn't do it. It would be showing a weakness to the crew and at the moment, he wanted to be strong… needed to be strong.

"I know. But it would look strange to the crew if all of a sudden you're running the boat."

She let out a sigh as she ran a hand through his hair. "Mike…"

Her eyes flickered to the paperwork on his desk and she decided that she would take matters into her own hands.

"We're coming into port in about 20 minutes. At least let me take her in so you can finish the paperwork so you have some spare time on shore leave."

He lifted his head and stared at her for a minute before nodding in resignation. She smiled at him before standing up, knowing he would see her reasoning.

"I'll see you onshore then."

************

Kate eye's flickered briefly to the lowering ramp, watching as Mike disappeared off the boat quickly, his phone pressed to his ear. Her thoughts went into turmoil, wondering why he would be the first off the ship, and in such a hurry too. Her eyes followed him towards the long-term parking lot where he disappeared behind a concrete pillar. She let out a sigh as she realised she would be heading to NavCom on her own and then having to try and think of some excuse as to Mike's whereabouts. She decided that she would head over to his place later and find out where he had run off. Nikki called her attention back to the docking procedures and for now, she pushed all thoughts of Mike to the back of her mind.

************

Kate stood in front of Mike's door, a folder of fresh paperwork tucked under her arm. She had come straight from NavCom and had decided it might be worth heading straight to Mike's to see if he was okay. She had noticed the strange car parked next to his car and she wondered who exactly was around. She raised her hand and knocked again, wishing he would hurry up and answer to appease the anxiety rising within her. The door swung open to reveal someone Kate had never seen before.

"Yes?"

She stared a moment, baffled at the man standing before her, wondering about why he looked a little familiar. He continued to stare at him and Kate remembered she had to reply.

"Ah… I was wondering if Lieutenant Commander Flynn was here. My name's Lieutenant McGregor. I need to speak to him."

His eyes skimmed up and down her before he turned back inside, holding the door open for her to walk in. Kate stepped in hesitantly, almost feeling as though she was stepping into a stranger's house. Her eyes flickered hesitantly around, noticing another two people sitting is his living room watching television. She wondered who they were and what they were doing at Mike's place. The man in front left her, heading in the direction of Mike's study and Kate found herself left in the hallway. She heard the front door open and turned to see two woman walking in, one struggling with a baby in one arm, bags in the other. Kate quickly walked over, tucking the folder of paperwork under her arm.

"Can I help you?"

Before the woman replied, Kate took the bags from her before turning and heading for the kitchen. She missed the look of confusion between the two women, both perplexed about who she was and how she knew Mike's house so well. They followed her, curiosity overwhelming them as they saw her more than at home in his kitchen. She had already started to put the shopping away, knowing where everything went. They walked in and placed the last of the shopping on the table and started to help put the remainder of it away. There was an air of awkwardness that surrounded the kitchen and the occupants. Kate moved to get the paperwork, hoping to get on with what she came for. She reached out for the folder, just as the older woman started talking.

"What are you doing here?"

The sudden break in silence startled Kate and she dropped the folder. Papers flew everywhere and Kate quickly dropped to her knees, trying to resort the papers. She let out a sigh of frustration at her clumsiness. She turned and looked at the spare set of hands that had suddenly appeared, her eyes locking onto the older woman.

"Why must you bother Mike with this?"

The woman held up a bunch of papers that had to be signed by Mike, waving them in Kate's face. Kate pulled back, wondering where the sudden venom in the woman's voice had come from.

"Excuse me?"

The papers were shoved back into her face.

"He has so much going on at the moment and here you are, prancing over in your white starched uniform demanding for papers to be signed."

Kate reached out and took the papers from the woman before standing up. She knew when she was not wanted.

"I'm sorry. I'll see him onboard then in a few days."

She stood up before turning and walking out of the kitchen, not realising that the woman was hot on your heels.

"That's right Missy. You be on your way and leave poor Mike alone."

Kate rushed for the door, grabbing for the handle just as a voice behind her stopped her.

"Kate! Wait up."

She turned briefly to see Mike running up the hall. She turned to face him, snapping a salute.

"Sir, I'm sorry for interrupting you at home. I just had some paperwork from NavCom but I can do it and leave you what needs to be signed onboard."

Mike stared at her confused, wondering why she was acting like this. He reached out for her, only to have her pull back and walk out.

"Kate?"

"I'll see you onboard, Sir."

Mike flinched as the door shut behind Kate before turning on the older woman.

"Mum! What did you say to her?"

His mother shrugged, "Nothing of consequence. Just that she shouldn't be bothering you at home."

Mike stared at her exasperated, "Mum! That was Kate!"

The shock on his mother's face would have been amusing if Kate just hadn't stormed out of his house. He turned and ran out the door, almost pulling it off its hinges in his eagerness to go after Kate. He ran out to see her heading for her car and quickly called out to her to stop.

"I'm so sorry. My mum didn't know who you were and she's always complaining about the Navy and how hard I'm worked."

A small smile crossed her face as she ducked her head, trying to hide the fact that she was amused by what had happened. She was too slow though and he saw. He lifted a hand and rested it on her cheek, lifting her head to look her in the eye.

"If my mum knew who you were, she would never have said those things."

Before she could say anything, he leant in and kissed her softly. She resisted him at first, trying to push him off because they were in public. She gave in as he persisted, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pressed her lips into his. He slowly and reluctantly pulled back.

"Stay for dinner?" he whispered quietly.

"Will your family mind… I'm assuming that's your family in there?" she nodded her head in the direction of his house.

He let out a laugh as he slipped his arm around her waist, guiding her back to his house. He felt her tense up. To calm her down, he leant in and gently kissed her neck.

"You'll be fine," he whispered, "They'll love you."

She let out a sigh as she rested her head on his shoulder, her hand tightening about the folder of paperwork.

"That's not the impression I got before."

He chuckled again and Kate relished the feeling of his chest rumbling beneath her. She slipped her arm around his waist, similar to the way he was holding her.

"They didn't know who you were. Give them some time Kate. Let them get to know **you, **not the Navy you."

She sighed before nodding her head, "I'll try."

****************

Kate glanced around the table, her heart thudding in her chest at the looks she was receiving from Mike's family. She wished he hadn't talked her into staying for dinner, wishing instead that she were at the pub drinking with the crew. It would be more relaxed and she would feel less like she was in an interrogation.

"So Kate, do you have family?"

Kate froze, the question not one she was used the answering. Her eyes rose from the meal in front of her, locking with the amused blue ones of Mike's mother. She was having fun making Kate squirm as was the rest of the family. She felt a hand squeeze hers and looked at Mike, reassurance filling her at the small smile he gave.

"Mum, it's not your right to ask these questions."

For a moment, the attention was taken off Kate and it was a relief to have a moment without the penetrating stares.

"Well it is. If you two think of getting married…"

Mike quickly stopped her, embarrassment overwhelming them both at the blatant comment. Kate looked up, knowing how to stop the continual onslaught on them both. She looked at Mike's mother, her stare penetrating as she answered the earlier question.

"I don't know much about my family, so there's not a lot I could tell you."

Her plan backfired as four curious eyes looked at her, all wanting to know the same thing.

"How can you not know your family?" Mike's younger sister piped up.

Kate shrugged, not wanting to let his family know what had happened to her. She returned her attention to her dinner, hoping that they would lose interest. No such luck.

"What do you mean? You must have a mum or a dad out there somewhere. Sisters? Brothers?"

Kate let out a sigh before looking back up, her eyes locking with his family as she told them about her childhood.

"I can't remember much about my father. My mother took me and left England when I was nine and moved us to Australia. I left home when I finished school and joined the Navy and haven't seen my mother since then. I have never felt the need to search either of them down and never will. Now if you don't mind, I have somewhere to be."

Their shocked faces did nothing to quell the anger that swirled through her. She stood up and turned to leave, wanting to get as far from his family as possible.

Mike threw a glare at his family, "You just don't know when to stop!"

He raced after her, catching her before she got to the door. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, stopping her from going anywhere.

"Kate, I'm so sorry."

She stared up at him, her eyes still flaming in anger. He knew he was in trouble.

"You said that they would love me. You said that if I was me, then it would all be fine. And I was!"

She pushed him off her, putting as much distance between them as possible. He reached out for her, hoping to stop the inevitable shouting match that would start.

"Kate…"

She shook her head, "No. I've been there for you since you found out about your sister. I've bent over backwards to make sure that you aren't stressed onboard. I've even risked my career to let you sleep in my rack so that you _could_ actually sleep!"

She kept pointing her finger into his face to emphasise each point.

"I know you're going through a hard time and I've tried to help you out."

Tears gathered in her eyes at the next words that came out.

"But I can't be there for you if I'm going to be against that every time I try. I'm sorry… but there is only so much I can take."

He stepped over to her, his arms enveloping her.

"I'm sorry Kate. I'm so sorry. I promise I'll try and sort it out."

She pulled back and gently cupped his face, her eyes just staring into his. She saw something flash in his eyes.

"What aren't you telling me?"

He glanced away from her, not wanting to see the anger through her eyes when he told her.

"I've requested compassionate leave and Marshall has granted it."

Kate's eyes widened. "How long?"

He let out a sigh, "Three months at the moment."

Kate let her head drop, letting it fall onto his chest. "So we've got a replacement captain then?"

He nodded his head, "It won't be like Freeman though. I know the guy, went through recruit school with him and have kept in touch with him since then. He's a good captain, name is Andrew Swagger."

She lifted her head and stared at him, "But then I won't see you everyday."

He smirked as he leant in and kissed her briefly, "It will make shore leave all the more enjoyable."

He slipped his hand into hers before tugging her back to the dining room. "Give them one more chance. It'll be okay this time. I promise."

She stared at him, noticing the reassurance in his eyes. She nodded her head, trusting him. She let out a sigh and took a deep breath as she followed him back into the dining room. Hopefully, this time things would be different.


	4. Chapter 4

Kate knocked on the front door to Mike's house, hearing a cacophony of noise coming from inside. With his entire family staying there, she knew that he would be close to breaking point. Sighing softly, she took a step backwards, glancing in through the window to see if anyone was coming. Not seeing any sign of life near the door, she knocked again, only this time a little louder. She heard more shouts and the sound of footsteps approaching the door before it was ripped open.

"Kate, oh thank goodness!"

She let out a shriek of surprise as Mike seized her in his arms and began hugging her senseless.

"I'm going crazy and I need to get out."

Kate let out a laugh as she looked up at him, seeing the desperation in his eyes. She leant in and kissed him softly, then gently pushed him back, creating a small amount of space between them.

"You need to be here. They're your family and you need to deal with it."

Sighing, he nodded, knowing she was right. It didn't, however, stop him from snaking one arm around her waist.

"You're coming with me though. We were just about to eat breakfast."

She smiled in reply. Whatever happened, she was going to be there for him.

******************

They hadn't been seated long when Kate felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. She quickly excused herself, ignoring the judgemental glares she received from his mother. After the disagreement at dinner the night before, both Kate and his family decided that they would make the effort to get to know each other. They knew that if they didn't try, they would ultimately end up pushing Mike away. Sighing in frustration at the interruption, Kate pulled out her phone. She didn't recognise the number flashing on screen.

"Kate here."

"Kate McGregor? It's Lieutenant Commander Swagger. How are you?"

Her grip tightened a little around the phone. It really was happening. Mike was taking leave.

"Sir. I'm well, thankyou. Just having some breakfast."

There was a small pause from the other end.

"Hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

She shook her head as she replied. "No Sir. Not at all. How can I help you?"

"Listen, I was wondering if you would agree to meet me for some lunch. I'd like to get to know the crew before I come onboard tomorrow."

Kate let out a small gasp. She had known that they would be going out soon… but tomorrow was far too soon.

"That's fine, Sir. Where would you like to meet?"

"Blue Pelican. Down by the base. I'll see you there at 12:30."

Kate let out a sigh as she hung up, wondering how she was going to tell Mike she would be leaving so soon. Her heartbeat quickened as she turned back for the kitchen, hearing the laughter coming from within. At least his family would be here with him. She could feel his eyes on her as soon as she entered the kitchen and she sat down nervously.

"Who was that?"

The words were spoken too quietly for everyone else to hear, but Kate froze at the question. She didn't want to tell him, but she knew sooner would be better than later.

"Lieutenant Commander Swagger." Her gaze turned to meet his just as he raised an eyebrow in question. "He wants to meet up with me to discuss the crew before heading out tomorrow."

She heard his small intake of breath and her eyes fell away.

"Tomorrow?"

She nodded.

"What are you two whispering about there?"

They both looked up in unison at the curious looks coming from around the table. Mike shrugged, trying to pass it off at nothing. The glare he received from his mother told him she wasn't fooled.

"Just finding out when the ship was leaving."

His mother raised an eyebrow and let out a frustrated sigh. "Mike. Need I remind you that you are now on a break… to look after your sick sister. Worrying over when the boat is leaving or what is happening is not going to help. Now, Kate; is the boat in good hands?"

Kate sat up straighter; she hadn't expected to be directly spoken to, especially as a truce had only just been declared. Not wanting to lose any brownie points that she might have, she nodded.

"Yes it is. What with the new captain, who I have been assured is superb," she threw Mike a pointed look. "And myself and Buffer. I believe the Hammersley to be in excellent hands – as though Mike himself were on there."

A grin spread across Mrs Flynn's face, whilst Mike's darkened in anger. She may have gained a few points from his family, but she'd lost them from the one who meant most to her. She sunk back into her seat, hoping to fade into the background. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and as she pulled it out to see the message. Her eyes rose to meet Mike's questioning ones and she threw him an apologetic smile.

"Nikki needs me at the ship."

His face fell, and he gazed at her pleadingly for a minute before nodding his head in resignation. For the next three months he would have to forget about his job in order to look after his sister. He knew that, but he also knew it would be hard. As Kate finished saying her farewells to his family, he stood up, and then followed her to the front door. Reaching out, he took her hands into his and pulled her against him, his lips instantly finding hers. Slipping his arms around her waist, he deepened the kiss, deciding that he didn't want to let her go. He felt her hands slide up his chest before she gently pushed him away.

"As much as I want to continue this… I need to go."

She leaned in and kissed him softly, briefly; then she was gone.

*******************

Kate had barely stepped foot on the ship before Nikki had grabbed her arm and begun dragging her roughly down to their cabin. As soon as the door was closed, Nikki's eyes were staring wildly at Kate, silently demanding the information she had been promised. Her expression turned into one of annoyance when Kate hesitated.

"You promised," she pointed out, pouting like a small child.

Kate laughed at the look, knowing that she wouldn't be allowed to leave the room until she divulged at least some of the details.

"Come on Nik. You don't want to know _all_ the details, do you?" she questioned slyly. Her plan backfired as Nikki pulled out the desk chair, sitting herself firmly in front of the door.

"Oh no. I do. So feel free to go on. Because I don't intend on leaving here until I know everything." She was sure to emphasise the 'everything', getting a small amount of satisfaction as she watched Kate squirm. Sure enough, her cabin mate started to spill.

When the discussion finally ceased, Nikki was sitting on the edge of her chair, jaw hanging slack and eyes wide in amazement. Kate continued to sit still, a slightly smug look on her face at the way she had managed to catch the Navigator off guard. Minutes seemed to pass before Nikki even found herself coherent enough to respond to the news that had just been dumped in her lap.

"So… You and the captain?" she managed to choke out, unable to form a proper sentence.

Kate nodded her head slowly, wary of the mischievous gleam now apparent in Nikki's eyes. A slow smile grew across the younger woman's lips as she leant forward, her eyes pleading as she asked the question Kate had been dreading.

"So, can I drop a subtle hint to the crew?"

"No!" Kate was abrupt in denying Nikki's request, knowing that if this news got out, both Mike's and Kate's careers would go down the drain quicker than either could imagine. "Please Nik, we need this to stay quiet, especially at the moment. He doesn't need anymore stress."

Nikki slumped back in her chair, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. But I get first dibs on telling everyone when you do go public."

Kate just rolled her eyes, chuckling in amusement. "Okay, fine."

Nikki's squeal of happiness was all she needed to know that she had placated the navigator for now. Quickly checking her watch, Kate realised she had to meet Swagger soon and that if she didn't leave now, she would be late.

"Look, Nikki, I'm sorry but I have to go. Meeting the new captain soon and don't want to be late." She stood up and left the room before Nikki could continue interrogating her.

***********************

Kate stepped into the Blue Pelican, already hating the busy atmosphere of the café. There was never any peace inside; people talking loudly over the clinking of cutlery and glasses, and with hardly any distance between each table it meant you had to shout to be heard. Her eyes glanced around the café, hoping to pick out the noticeable Navy whites. She didn't miss the sideway glances people were throwing her. It was a popular hangout for the younger crowd in Cairns and despite the close proximity to the base it was rare for Navy personnel to come here; they preferred the small café closer towards the pier, which provided quicker access to the base in case of emergencies.

Unable to pick out Swagger in the increasingly crowded room, Kate turned to leave. She had barely taken a few steps out the door when she saw a Navy officer making his way towards the café. Stopping in her tracks when he made eye contact with her, he bound up the last few steps.

"Lieutenant McGregor?"

She nodded, before snapping a salute. He returned the gesture before holding his hand out towards the café. "Shall we?"

Turning on her heel to head back into the Blue Pelican, she couldn't guess how the meeting would go. She would be friendly though. She would do it for Mike.

**********************

Mike pulled into his driveway, eyes flicking to his sister as he turned the car off. He wasn't too sure if she was feeling 100 percent – or as close to 100 percent as someone could feel after sitting through their first round of chemo. But he knew that she was putting on a brave face, not wanting to seem weak in front of his family.

"You don't have to be strong, Luce. That's why we're all here. To support you."

She shook her head and, as he looked at her, he was surprised by the dullness in her usually bright blue eyes. It scared him, making her illness all the more real. Shaking off the thought, he reached over and unbuckled her seat belt.

"Come on. We better get inside before Mum has a fit."

She let out a frustrated sigh, moving to open the door before he could get any more protective. "I'm not an invalid. I don't need your help." Her words were like a slap on the face and he wondered if it was just the illness speaking. He ran one hand through his hair, trying to calm himself. He just hoped that she wouldn't say anything like that to their mum.

Jumping out of the car, he followed Lucy up the path, standing close enough behind her to catch her if she fell, but not close enough that she would feel smothered.

"We're home!" he called out, hoping that his family might have had the sense to go out for the afternoon. No such luck. His mother came bustling in, instantly wrapping one arm around Lucy's waist and leading her to the lounge. He tried to step in, to get his mum to back off a bit, but it only served to annoy Lucy more.

"Just go away! I don't need help!" Without a second glance she stormed towards the spare room. His mother's eyes turned on him, and he fought the instinct to shrink away from her angry glare. He took one step back, wanting to give her the space to vent without appearing as though he was going to run.

"Oh no you don't, Mister." She reached out and grabbed his arm, dragging him into the lounge room, where his younger brother and sister were already sitting. She pushed him into a free chair, and then rested her hands on her hips. That alone told him it was going to be bad. "What in the world did you do to her?"

His eyes widened; he had expected to be reprimanded for trying to butt in, not to be blamed for Lucy's sudden mood. He held up his hands in defence, shaking his head as he tried to explain.

"She was fine in the car. I took off her seatbelt and she went all moody on me. I didn't _do_ anything."

It was as if the fact he defended himself – rather than admitting it was his fault – meant that everyone could start having a go at him.

"Jeez, Mike. She's only just started her chemo and you're already ticking her off."

Mike's eyes narrowed as he turned to his younger brother. He felt his hands shaking slightly in anger, and fisted them in an attempt to control himself.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Tom. You weren't there. I didn't say anything to piss her off like this." He heard Ellie scoff from the other couch and suddenly knew that without Lucy backing him up, it was a lost cause.

"We all know you, Mike. Always keen to pick a fight with any of us." Her words were condescending and cruel, and as he turned to look at his youngest sister, he noticed a difference in her. The reality of everything hit home, and he didn't know if he could handle it. Standing up, he turned and left, grabbing his keys as he passed the door. He needed to get out, and he knew exactly where he was going.

************************

Kate sat on her couch, the Channel Nine news flickering quietly to one side as she read through the bunch of files that surrounded her. Reaching for her coffee, she rubbed her tired eyes with her spare hand, wishing there was some way of getting through all them before going onboard tomorrow. She sunk back into the couch, let her head fall back onto the pillow, and allowed the exhaustion to take over. With her eyes closed, she was able to block out everything around her and just think. Her thoughts turned straight to Mike, a small smile lifting at the corners of her mouth. It pained her, knowing what he was having to deal with. She couldn't imagine how hard it would be to have a sibling with cancer. Her hands tightened about the slowly cooling coffee cup, a small sigh escaping her parted lips.

"What are you thinking about?"

She shot up at the sudden intrusion, narrowly avoiding spilling coffee on herself. After placing the cup back on the table, she turned to see Mike standing in the entranceway, his head cocked slightly to the side as he gazed at her. She let a hand fall on her racing heart, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"You scared the hell out of me," she muttered, glaring at him. The effect was lost though as a grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. He walked in, heading straight for the couch. She bunched up the papers around her and shoved them over to the coffee table to make room for him. He sat down next to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her before pulling her into his lap. Quickly flicking the TV off, she sighed as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, content just sitting with her.

"You okay?" she asked quietly, her hands moving through his hair, mimicking the motion he used to calm himself. Feeling his soft sigh tickle across her neck, she pulled back to look into his eyes. She cupped his face when she saw the pain buried deep in his blue depths. Gently, she pressed her lips against his, surprised to feel his desperation when he returned the kiss. "Tell me."

Instead of replying, he pulled her face back to his to resume what her words had interrupted. He then pushed her down into the couch, pinning her beneath him. Deepening the kiss, he decided he wanted to forget about his sick sister, forget about his demanding family, and forget the fact that Kate was leaving tomorrow.

However, Kate had different ideas. She slowly but gently pushed him back, her eyes pleading with him to tell her.

"No Kate," he insisted. "You're leaving tomorrow. I don't want to talk about it tonight." He pressed his lips back against hers, cutting off any retort she may have had. As his hands slowly drifted down to the hem of her shirt, she decided that tonight just could be about them.

***********************

She didn't know what caused her to stir, but as soon as her eyes opened, they met a pair of blue ones and she found she really didn't mind being woken up. A small smile gradually spread across her face as Mike continued to gaze at her, his fingertip slowly tracing the lines of her face. She loved the way he teased her, keeping her senses fully aware at all times; the feel of his fingertip leaving a tingling trail as it moved along her jaw; the feel of his other hand grasped possessively around her waist, holding the lower part of her body tightly against his; and the feel of his breath, gently tickling her lips as his face hovered over hers, his eyes taking in every little thing about her. Unable to help herself, she lifted her head and closed the slight distance between them. The instant their lips met, all thought was gone. His hands started to wander, teasing her body by not going where she craved to be touched. Her own hands wrapped around his neck, giving her the leverage to arch herself against him, making him fully aware of just how little they were wearing.

"So what was wrong when you got here?" she murmured against his lips. He groaned in annoyance, wishing she would just drop the subject. Leaning in to kiss her, he hoped he could distract her line of questioning. She was having none of it, though, and pulled herself out of his embrace, eyes pleading silently. He sighed in frustration, and flopped back against the pillow. After a few minutes, he rolled back onto his side to face her.

"Ellie said something to me today and it made me realise just how much I had missed out on with my family. I moved up here to get away from them and Lucy followed me. She's the only one I've kept contact with and it was through her that I got my family updates. When Ellie spoke to me, I realised how much she had changed, how much she had grown up."

Kate was confused. On one hand she could understand what Mike was saying but she wasn't quite sure where he was heading. She propped herself up on one arm, reaching out with her other hand to gently caress his cheek. "What exactly is the problem?"

"I just… I've missed out on so much coming up here and I'm starting to wonder if I made the right decision." At his words, Kate's eyes widened, unable to believe it.

"Mike. How can you…"

"Forget it Kate. Forget I said anything." He rolled over, letting her know that the conversation was over. The way he had suddenly brushed her off was painful, yet considering everything that he had been through in the last few weeks, she knew she couldn't do anything about it. Instead of pushing the matter further, she closed her eyes, hoping sleep would smother her soon. Eventually it came, but it was anything but peaceful.


End file.
